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Here’s the deal: This blog is (mostly) about businesses in Columbia, SC which have closed.

How often have you gone to a favorite store or restaurant and found the doors locked and all the tables and chairs stacked against the back wall? Did you wish there were a place to vent about it, say how you saw it coming, or give the inside scoop on what happened? I’d like this to be that place.

As I notice businesses that have closed, I’ll post entries on them. If I was a patron, I’ll post a few thoughts, if I wasn’t, I’ll just note the passing. I hope that you, should anyone actually find this blog, can fill in the details with your comments.

In general, this blog will deal, as the title suggests, with Columbia SC. However, I also spend a good deal of time on the Grand Strand, so I won’t hesitate to mention closings there, if it strikes my fancy. I also won’t hesitate to make “remember when?” posts about places that closed years ago.

Hey can I mention good ole Jack Rabbit 1 Hour Photo (based in Mt. Pleasant, SC), various locals in Columbia. They had a couple of little drop off stations that I remember. The Pizza Hut across from the old Coca Cola Bottling on North Main Street near Earlewood Park. Red Ring Rollerway near St. Andrew and Broad River. An old drive-in movie near railroad track at N. main and Beltline and the adult drive-in right where River Drive become Broad River Road.
Thanks for the memories, just reminds me I've been in Cola-town a long time. Oh, and what was the name of the restaurant that was a ship on a little lake down Garners Ferry Road?

Hey Ted,
I'm a journalist in York, Nebraska, and happened upon your website in the course of some research. Enjoyed it! My husband and I have lived in many places around the country, and every trip back shows how rapidly things change. The old ways and places are falling like tenpins. I always kid my husband, "Just repeat the American mantra: All change is progress!"

Love the website Ted. I've got a question for you, did Columbia have an Electric Avenue and More store? I'm pretty sure they did. I find it interesting that there is very little on the internet about this once train wreck of a store. I was in Anderson,SC four years ago and near the mall still stood an empty vacated Electric Ave & More store. I was surprised to see it.

That's the store. The store never really took off real big but I do remember them having commercials on TV. I actually think John Madden might have been a spokesperson for them. I can't remember for sure though.

They were fairly big stores. If memory serves me right they got busted for selling stolen equipment or something of that nature.

Next time I'm in Anderson,SC if the store is still standing I will snap a picture of it.

There was an Electric Ave & More store in Florence,SC where I am from. It is where Target is now. It once was a Phar Mor and when they shut down Electric Ave & More occupied the building. That section of the strip mall was torn down in 2001-2002 somewhere in there and Target built the store that is there now.

Electric Avenune and More was an off-shoot of Montgomery Ward. There was also one at Myrtle Beach on the by-pass near Broadway at the Beach. When Montgomery Ward folded in the 90s so did Electric Avenue. And yes they used the 80s song "Electric Avenue" in their advertsing.

Ted,
It would be nice if other bloggers trackeed what stores were closing in their cities too. My wife's blog actually had a post about a recent restaurant closing in our small town and we were wondering why it hadn't closed soon er - see here - http://www.confessionsofafoodie.com/uptown-cafe-restaurant-review-crestview-fl/2009/08/06/
On a business note, one of my clients - DIY Home Center - is interested in acquiring a left navigation hyperlink on columbiaclosings.com for the phrase "DIY Home Center" to their website. DIY Home Center prefers to pay a one time fee of $25 (for your time) by PayPal to be listed on your website permanently on the right navigation under a new section titled "Supporters", if this is an option, or one of your current categories.
Let me know if you are interested or if you have any other ideas. Thank you for your time & I look forward to hearing back from you.

Fred's closing is a sad day for all of us! Where else will we be able to go to get some of the great things they have there! No more 3-piece-toilet-covers in dusty rose, singing bass trophies, wicker accent pieces & $30 curio cabinets to store our Precious Moments dolls! Not to mention the cheap groceries - where else can you buy imitation-cheese pizzas, Stale Valentine candy in the middle of September, dented cans of Veg-All and get bargain prices on cartons of Basic Menthol 100's! I'm definitely gonna miss the place. Sigh... Guess I'll have to go back to shopping at Big Lots.

i have a question i hope some columbia old-head out there can answer: what was the name of the car stereo store on broad river rd that had the tv commercials with the girl saying "sounds real good" with a horrible hick accent? that line got burned into my brain as a child and even know i say it to people instinctively. it's like my own private joke.

Anybody old enough to remember the old Edens Food Stores in Columbia and around S.C. They sold out to Winn-Dixie around 1955. I worked for them as did my father.
Several of the old buildings are still standing, among these are the ones on Rosewood Drive, North Main Street, Devine St, Harden St. and I am sure there are others. They were the place to shop for groceries in Columbia during their hey day,

Hi Ted- I read your blog post from 2008 about the Tri-Centennial album with interest. My father in law is a music teacher from that era and would love to hear your full songs that you ripped from vinyl. Is there any way you could repost or send me the links to the full mp3s? I searched for the website you mentioned someone was building and it is either non-existent or a work in progress... Thanks for everything!

There was a great little jewerly store near the corner of Harden and Blossom that closed 2003-2004. It died along with a lot of other small businesses during the torturously slow road project that was done on Harden. I wish I remembered the name of the place. The gentlemen that ran it did great work.

awwww my favorite memories in 1980 at Von Henmons! I was a groupie for the local punk band Xtones and married the lead guitarist, been married for 30 years now. Anyone remember the Xtones? They played there alot!

Hi Ted: I'm interested in Kester's Bamboo House in Five Points; Sox's Twin Drive-In Restaurant in Five Points and West Columbia; Bar-B-Q Inn in West Columbia; Davis Bike Shop & Grocery on Barnwell Street; Taylor Street Pharmacy (where breakfast was 9 cents in the late 50's); Dodd's Dime Store on Assembly Street; and the Amvets Club in North Columbia (can't remember the name of the area, but it was on a lake); and I guess that's all at the moment. Thanks a lot.